HIS STUNNING PERFORMANCE at the Open made him an overnight sensation and it seems Paul Dunne’s stock continues to rise in the aftermath of St Andrews.
The 22-year-old Greystones golfer produced three consecutive flawless rounds on the Old Course to sit atop of the leaderboard heading into the final round but a six-over par 78 saw him finish in a tie for 30th.
Dunne made headlines around the world as he made a huge impression in only his second professional event and his exploits saw him climb 719 places in the world rankings.
He received praise from some of the biggest names in the sport and now the amateur appears to be in the running for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award - that’s if you believe everything the bookmakers say.
Ladbrokes have Dunne at 25/1 to scoop the prestigious gong while you can get the same price for the University of Alabama graduate to win the RTÉ award.
However, it seems odd that the bookmakers would have him in the running with the rules stating that all nominees must be from the United Kingdom or a UK resident.
Last year, Rory McIlroy finished runner-up behind Lewis Hamilton while this time around, Chris Froome is the early frontrunner to add his name to an illustrious list after winning this year’s Tour de France.
The BBC awards ceremony is taking place in Belfast on Sunday 20 December but it seems far fetched, and inconceivable, to say Dunne will be among the nominees for the main prize on the night.
H/T: Cormac Dowling
